Major League Lacrosse: New Machine coach looking for first win

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Where to watch: The game will broadcast on the MLL’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/MLL.

Player to watch: Attackman Steele Stanwick, one of two Machine players elected to the MLL
All-Star Game, leads the team in points (23) and assists (15). Former Ohio State standout and
rookie attack man Logan Schuss is tied for the team lead in goals (17) and is third on the team in
points (19). The Nationals are led by MLL All-Star Game MVP Kevin Crowley. Crowley is second in the
MLL in goals (29) and third in points (41). Joe Walters (Midfielder), one of five Nationals
selected to the All-Star Game, leads the MLL with 18 assists and is seventh in the league in points
(33).

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Two games into his tenure as coach of the Ohio Machine, Bear Davis has yet to notch his first victory. But even though the team has no wins to show for all of its efforts, all signs finally seem to be pointing up.

“Every time we step out onto the field, we are defining the character of this team,” Davis said in a press release. “We’re starting to put points up and starting to manage the clock better.”

The Machine (1-9) will play the Hamilton Nationals (7-3) tonight at Ron Joyce Stadium in Hamilton, Ontario. The Machine is coming into the game playing its best lacrosse of the season.

In its last game before the All-Star break, the Machine almost pulled off the biggest upset of the Major League Lacrosse season, falling just short against the defending MLL champion Chesapeake Bayhawks 13-12.

“I thought the team played hard, and I thought it was one of our more complete games all season,” All-Star attackman Steele Stanwick said. “I don’t really believe in moral victories, but we left that game feeling as good as you can when coming out with a loss.”

The Nationals will have their eyes set on making team history. With a victory tonight in front of their home crowd, the Nationals would set the franchise’s single-season record for wins. If they win tonight and receive some help in the form of losses by Charlotte and Rochester, Hamilton would also clinch a playoff spot.

The Nationals are led by midfielder Kevin Crowley, who was named the All-Star Game MVP earlier this month. Crowley is second in the MLL in goals (29) and third in points (41).

“We want to do our best to keep Crowley off the field as much as we can by having good, long possessions,” Stanwick said in an email.

In the two games that Davis has served as coach, the Machine has not only scored in double digits each game, but it hasn’t allowed more than five goals in any quarter.

Over the past two games, Stanwick and attackman Joe Cummings have led the Machine offense, each registering a five-goal game.

“I think everyone is buying into what coach is talking about,” Cummings said in a press release. “When we all buy in, then everything starts to work.”

The first time these teams played on May 23 at Selby Stadium, the Machine played well throughout the first half. But the Nationals went on an 8-0 run to start the second half, and the Machine wasn’t able to fight back in losing 16-9.

The Machine is a much different team this time around, and Stanwick believes it will showcase its true potential in the rematch.

“We just want to keep getting better every game,” he said in an email. “We have a lot of talent on this team that can be lethal.”